


Air Force 1

by Karfraegh18



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-09-22
Updated: 2009-09-21
Packaged: 2018-09-03 04:04:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8695882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karfraegh18/pseuds/Karfraegh18
Summary: Jared is on his first day at his new job, as the new co-pilot on a plane codenamed Air Force 1, the President of America's official call sign. Jensen is the second son of the President, his father's PA, and is the centre of attention for a hijacker who only wants one thing. Everything.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the Sinful Desire archivists: this story was originally archived at [Sinful-Desire.org](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Sinful_Desire). To preserve the archive, we began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2016. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [Sinful Desire collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/sinfuldesire/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** Inspired by the film Air Force 1, and then totally moving away from the plot of that film... totally... except it is set on AF1... rofl...
> 
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was quite possibly the most boring luncheon he had ever attended, and in his head it seemed to last the equivalent of 5.2 years.  He had said all the right things, introduced all the right people, made all the right connections, remembered everyone’s names and flirted with all the girls. 

Now he wanted to find the one person who he needed to drag to the podium for a closing speech, the President. 

Elusive and probably hiding with his wife somewhere, given that their wedding anniversary had clashed with this overseas trip.  He finally found the President, and the first lady, wrapped in a hug; in the one place he knew he would find them… the garden.  Ring fenced by secret service agents, all of whom had discretely turned their backs on the softly talking couple. 

He coughed to make himself known, “Mr President” he said softly, enjoying the affection between the two people and not really wanting to interrupt.

With a sigh the couple parted, both turning toward him and smiling.

”Jensen, is it time?”

”Yes Mr President” he said politely, handing over a small pile of cue cards, “The undersecretary for defence is here, as is Senator Gordon, you may wish to avoid the upcoming race and the implications of our defence budget in your speech”.

The President smiled, “Jensen, are you worrying that I will get into a public face off with Senator Gordon?”

”Sir, it is my job to worry, but no, I am sure you will handle the situation as you usually do”.

In a gentlemanly fashion the President offered an arm to his wife and she slipped through a delicate hand to hold on to him, schooling her features to less of dishevelled wife and more to composed first lady.  Jensen could never get over how beautiful she was, and despite the gravity of the situation, despite how it may look to the secret service agents spread around them he just had to get over his love for her and his pride in her as she stood there in the warmth of the midday sun.

“You look really beautiful,” he blurted out, and then blushed at the momentary drop in his composure. She turned to him with a soft smile on her lips and the President looked down at her fondly.

“Thank you” she said ever so softly, and leaned over dropping a small kiss on Jensen’s cheek, patting his chest gently, “see John, our son thinks I look beautiful too, what I did to deserve two such demonstrative men in my life I’ll never know”

“He’s taken lessons from me” the President said, laughing,

“Have you seen Mackenzie?” His mom asked. Jensen fairly cringed at the question then looked directly into his mom’s green eyes and shrugged.

“Last I saw she was with the senators son, Corey”, he admitted, knowing the news wouldn’t be received well. 

His father frowned.  ”Hmm, keep an eye on her Jensen… for me” his dad, was clearly a little worried at the latest turn of events in his daughter’s love life.

“I will”, Jensen dismissed quickly and then he followed his dad in, all the time telling him last minute things, small bits of information, names, dates, his dad listening with half an ear as he smiled and accepted praise and applause from the waiting room.  Gracefully the first lady moved to one side, stopping next to a worried looking Jensen, quirking an eyebrow at seeing his teeth worrying his lower lip, a habit he really needed to break.

Her husband moved to the podium, the agents standing either side, looking out into the room, and then he gave one of the most impassioned speeches of his life, a speech that Jensen and he had spent days perfecting.

Jensen tuned out, it was his job now to judge audience reaction, to see if his father’s words hit hard enough, were good enough, pushed into the listener’s hearts enough.  In general people were nodding, it wasn’t a particularly interesting start to the speech, they had agreed to wind the tension up bit by bit until the final US not tolerating terrorism part at the end.

Jensen looked briefly at the Senator, standing to the back; his face carved from stone, his son standing next to him.  Corey was a younger version of his father, 23 and fresh from university, and had a guilty looking Mackenzie hanging from his arm.  Guilty because Jensen had just caught her eye and smiled that knowing big brother smile, causing her to blush furiously and then look away.  She had somehow grown up being away from the family at college, majoring in computer science, getting new friend, Cory not the only one.

His gaze moved further round the room, past more security to some of the staff who had been invited to the lunch, who all stood together listening to what their president had to say.

He wondered why he hadn’t noticed the guy at the back before.  He was obviously a staff member, dressed in a dark suit, and was easily a head taller than the tallest in the room.  His hair was kinda long for staff, and flicked out in a casual just got out of bed way, and he was totally engrossed in what Jensen’s father was saying, nodding and pursing his lips every so often in agreement to each new thing the President said.  Jensen really couldn’t move his gaze, allowing himself just to stare.

The problem was that tall guy must have sensed he was being watched as he swivelled his head to catch Jensen’s eye, smiling briefly and turning back.  Jeez, cat like eyes, flicky hair, taller than Jen, quite obviously built… Jensen decided it was all a dream; something he had made up in his campaign trail exhausted head and blinked rapidly to clear his vision.  Unfortunately tall guy chose that moment to look curiously back at Jensen and saw the whole blinking thing which in turn caused Jensen to flush scarlet and turn on his heel, his water sloshing dangerously in his hand, damn it, he had been caught staring.

The speech went really well.  It was being televised, and the message was clear, the US did not negotiate with terrorists, would not back down.  It was a message heartily endorsed by most of the crowd it seemed and Jensen felt a personal sense of satisfaction that his words were having an impact.

The lunch segued into a late afternoon informal mingling session, at all times Jensen was aware of four things, crowd response, the whereabouts of his sister Mackenzie, the location of one Senator Gordon and finally the exact position of tall guy.  He had learned that tall guy was one of the new pilots for Air Force 1, his name was Jared, he was an Air Force Pilot, had a distinguished career spanning 8 years man and boy, had full security clearance and was just 26.  All this he found out very quickly from a simple question to the chief of security, a question asked in the guise of knowing the people round his father.

What he found out later, much later that evening, when he had spent an hour talking to tall guy, lust in their eyes as they spoke, innuendo in their words, was that tall guy was possibly the best kisser he had ever met.

They were back in the secure top floor of the hotel, back in Jensen’s private room and it had taken seconds, clothes torn and thrown and pushed aside... their connection instant.

It was Jared who pushed Jensen back against the wall, his large hands pushing Jensen’s above his head, biting and sucking at Jensen’s neck, capturing those gorgeous tempting lips in a heated kiss.

It was Jensen that pushed against Jared’s hold, hard against him, desperate for more and it was Jensen that guided them to the bed, falling back and pulling Jared after him, arching up into Jared’s hard muscles.

“You are so damn hot” Jared moaned against Jensen’s freckled skin, tasting, hands searching and branding with heated touches.

Jensen mumbled something incoherent his head thrown back, hands reaching to his bag at the side, fumbling for the slick that he knew he had left there, that went everywhere with him, in the vain hope that one day he would find someone that he connected too, that actually knew him as Jensen Ackles, the President’s son, and didn’t care. 

He slapped it into Jared’s hand, who only paused long enough to make sure he understood what Jensen wanted, Jensen nodded and Jared groaned into his mouth, this couldn’t be any more hot.

Jared used too much slick, his hot fingers sliding, stretching, twisting, finding the nerve ends that would send Jensen skywards, breathing Jensen’s sobbing moans and demands for more, moving across Jensen’s body, swallowing him down, no finesse, all hot sucks and pulling movement.  Jensen took over, fucking up into Jared’s mouth then down onto hot knowing fingers in frantic bursts of movement, arching and moaning and coming in a violent fitting burst of white hot heat, choking out Jared’s name, pulling him up, tasting himself in Jared’s mouth.

Jared pulled fingers out, rolled on a condom, positioned himself, holding Jensen so he could look him direct in his eyes.  He wanted to see as everything as Jensen wrapped his legs around Jared’s waist and Jared inched his way in, pulling back, pushing in, until at last he rested inside, their eyes locked. 

Jared waited for a sign, an indication he could move, sweat pooling at the base of his spine, his arms trembling with exertion.  Jensen took the decision away from him, pushing up, his eyes glassy, pupils blown and Jared moved, leaning down to capture kisses and words and pleas, as they set a rhythm as old as time itself, Jensen hard and hot between them, nails digging into Jared’s skin, marking him, pulling him impossibly deeper and closer.

He needed Jared’s hands on him, wrapped around him, he needed touch, “touch me” he said in a breath, and not losing rhythm Jared rested his weight on one elbow, the other hand closing round Jensen, jacking him as he buried himself deeper inside, sinking into dark tight heat and losing it, feeling Jensen come over his hand biting down on his lip and arching his neck in ecstasy opening it for Jared to suck a mark low on his throat, even as he slowed his movements, the warmth of his release sliding against him.

Breathing ragged, Jared pulled back rolling onto his back, one arm over his eyes, the other holding tight to the headboard above him, listening to Jensen as he tried to settle his own breathing.

“Jesus” Jensen breathed to no one, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“Uh huh” was Jared’s less than coherent response

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“You know it has stuff that just isn’t on a commercial airliner, I mean it isn’t even the Air Force 1, it’s like just the call sign for any plane carrying the President”.  They sat cross-legged, remains of a room service order between them, totally naked and both grinning stupidly.

“For someone who flew fighter jets, someone who has had gone through millions of dollars of training and psych exams, how the hell did your superiors miss the fact that you are like this huge dorky kid?”  Jared nipped at bare skin, laughing low in his throat.

“Well this kid is kinda getting his energy back old man”

“Jeez Jared, you’re gonna kill me” Jensen stretched, hands above his head, smirking, in fact he would definitely be up for round two if Jared was there...

“Seriously Jensen, there are like these huge freezers in the belly, with like enough food to feed about 100 people at a time, and the storage area there holds over 2,000 meals”.

“I’m sensing food is an obsession of yours?” Jensen laughed as he watched Jared virtually inhale a slice of pizza.  Jared grinned a huge dorky grin, patting his flat stomach and nodding.

“It’s not just the food thing, I mean, there’s a medical facility, a pharmacy, like a mini ER, a fold-out operating table, there’s a doctor, a real doctor”.

“Yeah. Doctor James”.

“Oh you knew that”. Jensen smiled at the brief look of disappointment on Jared’s face.

“Dude, he’s like a permanent fixture”.

“Well what about the fact that unlike a normal 747, the plane has its own retractable stairways, for the rear entrance and the front entrance and has its own baggage-loader”.

“It’s designed so we never lose bags Jay or take on any bags we shouldn’t”.

“Ahhh, but did you know, what freaks me the most… the electronics… 85 onboard telephones, secure lines, two-way radios, like fax machines that actually work, a huge bank of computers, nineteen, yeah nineteen televisions”. 

“You’re focusing on the televisions dude, is that for the food infomercials?”

“Yeah, who wouldn’t wanna focus on those, nah, what gets me is you can reach just about anybody in the world while you’re like tens of thousands of feet in the air”.

“Well given it’s the President it needs to be done, what if he wants to order pizza?” 

Jared laughed, throwing a grape at Jensen, watching it bounce off his chest and roll between his legs.  He felt his dick twitch; he so needed to find that grape, soon.

“Did you know though that there is 238 miles of wiring, like twice the amount you'd find in a normal 747?” Jared suddenly blurted out, trying to distract himself from wanting to taste Jensen again.

“No, I didn’t know exact figures”. Jensen smirked, he definitely smirked, and then he moved, Jared swore he moved closer, promise in his eyes.

“It’s got like this heavy shielding on it all, so it’s like tough enough to protect it from an electromagnetic pulse”.  Jared tried to continue, teasing with his soft words.

“That’s a bit too Matrix for me”, Jensen pointed out, his lips inches from Jared’s acres of hazel flesh just there for touching.

“And, I mean we can refuel in mid flight…” Jared choked, as Jensen’s breath was soft against his face, “…I haven’t seen that yet, I swear I am so freaking excited to see it”.

“I’ve seen it” Jensen let his tongue trace Jared’s lips, darting in to taste grapes and wine.

“I bet you I’ve seen bits of the plane, like its advanced avionics and defences that are just in your dreams.” Jared said, swallowing, pulling back slightly, his words slightly slurred, passion rising in him, an incredible need and want for this gorgeous man in front of him.

“All I know is it’s better than flying economy”.  Jensen inched closer, his lips, touching Jared’s again.

“Did you know” Jared started smirking, “it’s fitted with electronic counter measures, ECM, to jam enemy radar, or can like, start ejecting flares to throw heat-seeking missiles off course.  How cool is that?”

“Not as cool, as you bending me over the bed”, Jensen said so matter-of-factly it took a while for Jared to register what he had even said.

”Oh”.

”Oh I can do that, or, oh I wanna keep talking about the plane”.

“Shit, I can do that, definitely”.  
   
They woke the next morning curled round each other and for both men this was an utterly unique experience.  Jensen because he had never had a relationship that included overnight sleeping and Jared because his ex partner was a sex, smoke, leave kinda guy.

It was comfortable, they fit, Jared laying on his back, his long legs flat, on arm under Jensen pulling him close, Jensen curled into him, one leg tangling with his lover’s, his head resting into Jared’s neck, his arm thrown casually around the taller man.

“Jensen” Jared whispered as softly as he could so that Jensen woke slowly.  He felt his new lover move ever so subtly, felt tension in him that Jared stroked away.  Eventually Jensen lifted his head, a small smile on his face.

“Let’s not make this awkward” Jensen started.

“OK”.

“It doesn’t have to be weird, the Presidents son and the pilot”.

“OK”

“So you agree it isn’t too weird?”

“Sounds like a bad porn plot, but OK, not weird”

”You realise that they’ll put you through like more security checks if they find out”

“What do you mean if?  We had to go through secret service to even get here, they all know”. Jensen groaned, knowing that what Jared was saying was true, like living in a goldfish bowl, everyone aware of every movement Jensen Ackles made.

“So, I’m thinking this was good?” Jensen said, a small element of hope in his voice.

“Good? Hmmm, how about awesome, mind blowing, fun and quite possibly the hottest thing I have ever done”

Jensen smiled, “Agreed”. His smile turned a little hesitant, “I’m thinking I’d kinda like to do this again, when we get back to the States?”

Jared’s answer was to pull Jensen in for a kiss, this was going to be amazing, and he knew it to the very core of him.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The plane stood six stories high, shiny and beautiful in the temporary hanger, and Jared just stood looking up at it in awe.  He had seen it before, in fact he himself had flown as security in a jet to one side of it on more than one occasion, but to be standing here, knowing he was a co-pilot, knowing he had this awesome responsibility sent chills dancing down his spine.

“Padalecki, get a move on, pre-flight” Jared turned to Jeff, the main pilot, dressed the same as him in dark trousers, a crisp white shirt and a dark bomber jacket emblazoned with the moniker Air Force 1. 

“I was just kinda taking it all in sir” he said softly, hearing Jeff chuckle and feeling him slap him on the back.

“Well, five minutes and pre-flight needs to start, so when you finished staring let’s get some work done”.

“Sir”. Jared replied smartly, turning on his heel and following Jeff to the front entrance of the plane, one used specifically for the flight crew, a mixture of excitement and nerves trickling down his spine.  Jesus he might only be the spare co-pilot for this, his first AF1 flight, but god, making coffee for Jeff and the guys or not, he was so bloody in the zone.

Jared knew that the cockpit was very similar in looks to a normal 747, laid out in the usual fashion, a pilot’s seat, a co pilot’s seat, switches dials, buttons.  But then when you looked closer at the controls for anti-aircraft, at the extra cables, the deeper cockpit allowing for at least four other bodies, and the computer monitors, silent and steady, he knew he was somewhere special. 

At their entrance Anna Sanders, first co-pilot and on her seventeenth AF1 flight turned, her blonde hair ruthlessly scraped back, her eyes warm and inviting.  “Ah, newbie, welcome, welcome” she said laughing.  They had met in training, in fact Jared had been partnered with her for simulator work, learning from her experience on board and he was basically her replacement should she be compromised in any way.  A fact that made his stomach clench, Anna was one nice person.

“Sanders”. He snarked.

“Padalecki”. She returned just as fast.

“OK” Jeff interrupted, sliding into his pilot’s seat, flicking the first few switches and gesturing for Jared to stand behind Anna.  “Lets get this pre-flight started”.

The other two arrived as they were checking against the master list, another Air Force man who Jared knew as Marty.  He was the chief navigator and computer geek, glasses falling down his nose and a permanent smile on his face. The second, a navy man, Alex, who fell into the role of co-navigator and general all round expert, to cover anything and everything.  They slid into their roles easily, earphones in, skilled fingers flying over a dozen key sequences, Jared watched, needed to go through pre-flight, and the buzz in the cockpit, the well oiled machine, was the closest to heaven this fly boy was going to get.

They pulled the security door closed; it was self-contained area in the cockpit, an outer door that opened to the main inside body of the plane, and also an inner security door that remained open in flight.  It could be shut at a moment’s notice in case of security breach.  In thirty years it had never been used in anger, only as a means of a member of the flight crew moving into the main area of the plane, which was a very rare occurrence.  There was a small galley for the crew’s needs, coffee, tea, cold drinks, food, and a toilet, even a pull down bed and a limited medical supply box.

No one outside of the five of them came into the cockpit once pre-flight had started, no one, not even the President himself, no compromise was allowed.  All five were armed, all five had the highest security clearance, all five had combat experience, and all five were now locked in and ready to fly.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The senator moved past Jensen, knocking his elbow and almost spilling his coffee, a muttered ‘excuse me’ not making Jensen feel any better about his rudeness.  The senator had been in a bad mood ever since a rather heated discussion about cutting funding for one of his pet defence projects; a discussion that had ended with the President locking himself into his private room and the senator grumpy and rude flouncing around AF1 like he owned the place.

They hadn’t even taken off yet and Cory and Mackenzie had disappeared one way, his mom and dad the other, which left him with senator ‘I will have my own way’ Gordon, picking holes in everything the President said.  Given it had been Jensen that had written those words for the President, given that he was fully behind everything the President said, given that the President was his dad for gods sake, it was a little out of place for what the senator was moaning on about. 

The undersecretary for defence exchanged sly knowing glances with Jensen, rolling his eyes every so often and leaning his head to one side as if to say run you damn fool, he’s only just started.  Jensen nodded, smiling gently, watching at the undersecretary pulled out an IPod and stuck in earphones, settling back in his seat and shutting his eyes.

The senator paused in his tirade, muttered something about the sins of sons and fathers and slumped down into his own seat, tightening the belt and pulling out a sheaf of paperwork and a red pen, beginning to slice the document apart in furious strokes.  It seemed to Jensen that the normally serene Gordon had never quite got over being passed over for Vice President during the last election and was hell bent on pushing his father to the limits, whatever the cause. 

He didn’t blame his mom and dad for disappearing, but he was definitely getting on the cross side with the errant Mackenzie and her eager eyed boyfriend.

Sighing he buckled in, nodding to the secret service agent at the edge of the main seating area, time to go. He watched as the agent spoke into his mouthpiece, imagining the words he was saying reaching Jared’s ears, and knowing the younger man would be on his toes with excitement at his first run.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Chick says it’s a go”, Captain Moore said to everyone and no one, and in smooth movements AF1 was taxied to runway 7, cleared and edged with emergency vehicles of every type.  Jared felt the excitement pull up in his spine, as he leaned forward to watch Anna’s deft movements, constantly checking, constantly moving, words of confirmation passing between all four.

When AF1 lifted, when he was pushed back into his seat, it wasn’t the same as the seat of his pants thrust that he was used to from the jets, but damn it, it was beautiful, graceful and powerful and moving, and his chest tightened with pride that he was sat here as crew on the most important plane in the world.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As soon as they were airborne Jensen stood and went to find his dad, he just wanted to check in with him before he could relax, and he stood outside the private bedroom area, files and folders in hand.  His dad answered the door, took one look at the files and grimaced.

“Time off son, go play games, have fun, your mom and me are having a few hours out”.  Jensen heard his mom laugh from the room behind at his dad’s words.

Jensen smiled and nodded, despite wanting to discuss a long list of important, vitally important, well perhaps not so important, items on a list in his head.  His parents really did deserve some down time and it seemed that it was only on AF1 that they got that, so he supposed he should be OK with it.

Problem was since leaving college his work was his life, his passion, his whole driving force, and without work his life lacked definition, and he struggled to do anything else, it was only after last night, and this morning when Jared held him in his arms that part of him felt as if there was life outside of assisting his dad.

“One thing though, do you want to do your usual meet and greet with the new staff?” 

His dad frowned, looking back into the room behind him and sighing.  He loved meeting his staff, he loved the people on this plane and had really close connections to them all, but god, his wife was sprawled back on their bed, dressed in nothing but her black lacy underwear, and he swore he really did not want to do it now.

“Who is new this flight?”

“Two, a co-pilot and a chef”

“OK, can you arrange for them to be in the lounge in about ten minutes and I’ll be right down”

“Yes sir”. Jensen turned smartly on his heel moving away to arrange what his father had asked

“And Jensen, two things…”

”Sir”

“Firstly I want to thank you for the work you did for the luncheon and the speech, it went well I think, I’m very proud of what you did. Secondly, after you’ve arranged the meet and greets then do you think that you can relax?”

Jensen looked back at his dad with a wry grin, shrugging his shoulder, “I’ll try dad I’ll try”.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The message came in to the navigator; “The President wants his meet and greet with fly boy in ten”.

“OK. Padalecki, go but, please no high fives, no spitting, no swearing and for god’s sake be respectful, young padawan” This from the captain who grinned over his shoulder at a suddenly nervous looking Jared.

“Ha ha” was Jared’s incredibly witty comeback, nerves clenching in his stomach.

“You need to leave your firearm flyboy” Anna said, indicating the individual lock boxes with key codes. 

Jared dropped his weapon in the box designated as his, flipping the code and holding his hands up in front of Anna. “Who needs a gun with these babies?” he said, waggling fingers in front of her face “These hands are lethal weapons, Sanders”

“Whatever Padalecki, security door please”. Jared went outside the open door into the galley area, straightening his tie, trying to pat down his unruly hair, feeling the door between him and the rest of the crew shut and the main door to the cabin area open, two secret service agents either side of it.  They didn’t acknowledge him; he didn’t speak to them, just made his way through the maze of corridor and doors to the main lounge area, spotting a shorter man dressed in chef whites hopping from foot to foot.

“Hey” he said by way of introduction

The guy turned, his face creased in a mask of nerves. “Hey” he said simply, a trace of accent in his voice

”Jared Padalecki, co-pilot”. Jared introduced himself holding out his hand, which the shorter man took briefly

“Francesco Liviero, Chef”. He replied to Jared’s introduction, immediately turning his attention back to the main door that Jared assumed the President would be coming through.

In fact it wasn’t the President who came through, it was a very smooth, gorgeous, suit wearing, un-rumpled, non-sleepy looking Jensen Ackles who pushed into the room and stood before the two guys. 

Jared swallowed at the sight, at the green eyes, the smooth shaven skin, the suit, the whole package.  He thought he had been knocked for six yesterday at the luncheon, but today… jeez. 

Remembering those same eyes blown with lust and passion and desires, imagining that throat open to Jared’s mouth, imagining that mark he had left last night, just under the collar of Jensen’s impeccable white shirt… god, instant turn on.  He shuffled slightly, hoping against hope that loose trousers would cover his hard on, and watched as Jensen crossed to them with a clipboard and a pen… jeez he even made stationary look sexy.

Jensen looked straight at him and a flash of something appeared in his soft green eyes, want, lust, Jared wasn’t sure, just knew it was damn hot and a lot personal.

Jensen cleared his throat, “I know we have met before, but just to be formal, I’m Jensen, the President’s PA and he has asked for this informal meet and greet to get to know his new members of staff.  He’ll be down in a minute, he won’t expect formality… really just be yourselves”.  He directed his next words to the Chef, something about menus and other bits and pieces that just went over Jared’s head as he stared, just stared, and remembered, and tried to will away his hard on before he had to meet the President.

Too soon the big man himself arrived, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt.

Jensen introduced the Chef, and the President spent a while chatting about food, and restaurants and generally putting the guy at ease.  And then it was his turn.

“Jared Padalecki sir…” Jensen introduced “…our new reserve co-pilot”

“Padalecki, what an unusual name” the President said conversationally.

“Polish sir, coupla generations back”

“Interesting.  Are you settled in your new role with us as yet?”

”Still learning sir, watching and learning”

“You flew jets for the Air Force didn’t you, air cover to our troops, I was reading your file, several commendations, and some time behind enemy lines”

”Yes sir”

“Your family must be very proud of your accomplishments”

“I believe they are sir, my mom tells me so”

“Ahhh yes, the proud mom, Jensen here has one of those”

Jared nodded not quite sure what to say to that but happy to agree.

And then the conversation passed on, little details that the President wanted to know, details that made his connection with his staff so personal, until it was over, the President left, the chef left and Jensen and Jared were alone.

“Follow me” Jensen said softly, indicating Jared should follow.

“I should be getting back to the deck” Jared said, torn between returning and pushing Jensen back against the wall and kissing him unconscious.

”They wont expect you for another half hour Jared, I’ll cover for you, look, I want to show you something geek boy”.

Jared followed a maze of corridors again that he would never remember, a door, another door and then a cupboard.  Well not exactly a cupboard, a server room for the computers, a bank of flashing lights and humming machines.

“Is this like the brain?” Jared whispered, as if someone could hear them.

“Yep, the whole centre of AF1, this controls everything from email to coffees” 

Jared was seriously in awe, “Wow, Jensen I - ”

But Jensen wasn’t talking; he was crowding Jared against the wall, leaning into him.

“Do you know how fucking hot you look in that uniform?” Jensen muttered, reaching up and pulling Jared’s head down for a punching, searching, hot kiss, Jared relaxed into it, widening his legs, letting Jensen align himself, hot and hard they pushed against each other, sloppy wet, but oh so hot, kisses belying the real need as Jared’s hand moved between them, reaching for Jensen, pushing into loose suit pants, finding him.

And then it happened.

The plane lurched dramatically to one side, Jared the only thing keeping Jensen standing, they both stumbled, shock on Jensen’s face, utter horror on Jared’s

What the fuck?


	2. Chapter 2

In the kitchen two people died instantly, knives to the throat.

In the main lounge the secretary of defence and Senator Gordon were ushered at gunpoint to the office area.

Mackenzie and Cory were dragged from the secondary bathroom by a secret service agent, Mackenzie swearing, Cory trying to calm her down. They too were pushed into the office area.

The President and his wife were pulled from their room at gunpoint, and added into the mix in the office, until six people sat on the floor of the offices, hands on heads, shocked and horrified at what was happening.

Communications were cut, the man in the kitchen moving silently to the next agent, dispatching him in the same ruthlessly efficient manner as he had his associates.

Five more people added to the office, eleven in all, the President standing, starting to demand answers, only stopping when a bullet stopped the breathing of one of the plane’s assistants, and her body fell at the side of him, eyes staring open and dull. 

Someone cried out.  Then just as suddenly stopped and a deathly silence filled the room.

The two agents that held the ten of them, they were people that the President knew, that he called friends, how was this happening?

One of them spoke briefly into his headset, “One missing … the son … sir”. A pause.  A nod.

“He wants us to track down Ackles”

”You go, stay in touch”

The second man hefted his weapon in his hand, considering the group of people, eyes alighting on Cory and Mackenzie, without a thought he pulled Cory up, his gun at Cory’s neck, “lets find Ackles” he said, his voice loud in the quiet room, Cory breathing heavily, Mackenzie reaching with hands that shook, the Senator red and flustered and with real fear in his eyes.

”Take me, leave my son” The other gun focused on the senator.

“Enough, we find Ackles, no one gets hurt” and with that the first man gestured for Cory to leave the room.

Silence, broken only by unfamiliar sounds echoing through the plane, sounds of creaking and the groaning of the 747’s superstructure.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As the plane lurched they struck, Sanders dead from a bullet, Captain Moore dead from a knife to the neck.

Marty and Alex moved bodies out of the way, a well-oiled machine, practised and at ease.

“Cockpit secure, two dead, 1 missing, Padalecki, co-pilot

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He looked over the manifest.

Two missing.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jared reacted first, opening the door to the server room, moving to the nearest window, looking out at the smoking engine, metal torn back and wiring exposed to the air, he had seen damage like this before.

“Shit”

”What is it”

”Engines gone, just blown clean out, shit, I need to get back to the cockpit”, he pressed his earpiece closer, as he walked “Sanders, what happened?” nothing, no reply, “Sanders”

“Padalecki”

”Who is this?”

”Marty”

“What happened?”

”Engine 3 failure, get your ass back up here fly boy”

“Where’s Sanders”

“Busy trying to fly the fucking plane, don’t ask stupid questions”

“OK, back in five”. Jared dropped his hand, pushing his headset away from his head and pressing the switch to cut himself off, and then he stopped walking.  Stopped so suddenly that Jensen walked into him, putting out a hand to steady himself.

“Jared? What?”

“That isn’t engine 3, its engine 4, and fuck me if that is a failure, I’m looking at bomb damage there”

“Someone tried to blow up Air Force 1?”

”No, someone tried to disable Air Force 1”.

“I don’t understand…”

“I’ve seen this kind of damage before” Jared started, pulling Jensen to the window “in training, on the 747 that crashed near Atlanta, a blown engine, explosives, see how the engine parts have been forced outwards, that isn’t any normal engine failure”

“But what does that…”

”And I just used protocols, contacted the co-pilot, no answer, she’s been compromised, Marty, the nav guy, he’s up there in the cockpit, fuck knows what has happened.”

“Mom, Dad, shit, Mackenzie, we need to find…”

“Jensen, we need to find out what has happened to the plane, that is our priority”

“Your priority”

”Our priority, Jen look at me…” Jared pulled at Jensen’s arm, forcing his head up with the other “…without control of the plane we are fucked, we need intel, and we need to find it fast, the sooner we can see what has happened to the plane the sooner we can get to your family, are you with me?”

”Jared”

“Are you with me?”

”Damn it, yes OK, and just let’s go for fucks sake”

“You do as I say, you stay behind me”

“Jesus Jared”

“Do. What. I. Say”

“OK”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cory stumbled in the guy’s grip.

“Get the fuck off me”, he said slowly and the guy holding him let go.  Cory rolled his shoulders. “What was that method acting?”

”You wanted out of there, I got you out”

“Where is Liviero?”

”On his way to the cockpit”

“So we’re left with the content of that office and our two loose cannons”

“Yes sir”

“OK good, have Liviero come to me when he’s done, I’ll be in the board room”.

He held out his hand and the other man passed him a gun, which he slipped in the back of his pants, time for phase 2.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jared was getting a very bad feeling about this whole situation.  Unanswered protocols, blown engines, silence from the secret service agents, and then there was what they found in the galley as they made there way forward to the front of the plane.

“Shit”, two professional slit necks, instant death, blood pooled dark against the grey floor.  He stopped, holding out a hand to stop Jensen, but Jensen looked past Jared, blanching at what he saw.  He knew these men, had spoken to them about families, had laughed and joked at the luncheon with them yesterday.

“What the fuck?” was all Jensen managed to force out.

“Two men dead, count for me, tell me who is left, tell me who we need to account for” Jensen looked at Jared blankly, horrified at the iciness in his lover’s voice.

“Jared”

“NO Jen, focus, this is not good, we have two dead men, a possibly compromised cockpit, we need to know”

“Uhm” Jensen tried hard to think, avoiding the puddle of blood that edged closer to his shoe “five in the cockpit, shit, three in the kitchen, three admin, two medics, seven passengers, twenty in all, then there are four secret service agents.

“Three” Jared said tonelessly, pointing outside to the corridor, one secret service agent with his throat cut.

“Jared, what the fuck is happening” Jared tried hard not to let his mind get sidetracked by the obvious fear in Jensen’s voice, he needed to rely on his training and focus on finding out what exactly had happened here.

“Jensen, focus on the numbers, keep me informed, let me know what I have here”

“M’ok… uhm, how, how do you want me…”

”Intel, pass me intel, like you would pass the President information” Jensen shook his head, trying to clear his thinking, he needed to picture the staff, the crew, the passengers…

Jared looked around the kitchen, he could see a professional’s actions in these executions, he needed to be prepared, a knife, two knives, passing one to Jensen who just stared down horrified, trying to pass it back. “Keep it, it is all we have”

“We need to go forward, but we can’t use the normal corridors, we need to keep this to the side, do you know how we can do that?”

”Down, down through the freezer areas and the erm… the luggage space”

“Take me there”, Jared said firmly, and he was glad to see scared Jensen had been replaced by determined Jensen, exactly who he needed.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“The other two in the cockpit have been dealt with”, Liviero confirmed

“So the plane is on auto pilot now?”

“Yes”

”And our missing co pilot and passenger”

“Haven’t found them yet”

Cory eyed Liviero with anger in his eyes.

“I don’t understand, where are they”

“In here somewhere”

“Where”

”Hard to tell, I mean Ackles is a soft office worker, but Padalecki, he has had intense training, he’ll not be a pushover”

“I’ll give you time to track them, we need Ackles, alive and here with daddy dearest, if you can’t get them then it will be time to move to plan B”

“I’m doubling back”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

John Ackles was tired, he hadn’t slept in nearly 72 hours and even the adrenalin of the hostage situation was starting to wear out.  As President he was ready to die, if it was his time it was his time, but to have these people go with him. 

His entire family, his beautiful wife, his daughter Mackenzie huddled into his side, Jensen out there somewhere, Christ knows where. 

And the lifeless eyes of the dead aide staring up at him.  What the hell had gone wrong?  He knew these people, people clinging to each other, and as for the senator, his face when they dragged Cory off, please Jensen, be safe…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Liviero reached the kitchen he spotted two things, the missing knives from the magnetic block and a single smudged footprint of blood.  They had been here, the two missing men, he just needed to follow a logical course, then he could show Padalecki who had the better skills and take the Ackles kid back to Cory, big bonus time.

He rounded the corner, having stepped delicately over the dead security agent, and then hesitated.  He imagined Jared standing here, seeing the carnage, knowing something was wrong, contemplating a move straight ahead, against a more convoluted but less obvious path to the President and ultimately the cockpit. 

He closed his eyes, the scent of blood around him, focusing on the plans in his head, Jared would think like a soldier, he would move down, and away, crossing back to the other side of the plane, hiding, gathering intel, but he had baggage, Ackles, he was gonna be slow…

Making a decision, grasping his knife tightly he took the course to the belly of AF1, a contented smile on his face, really, really looking forward to this.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

They had taken to talking in whispers, just in case.  It was Jensen that had started it, Jared considered it a wise move, considering the other secret service agent’s body they had stumbled across, his neck clearly broken.

He heard Jensen mutter figures… two agents, one kitchen, four cockpit, six passengers, three admin, two medics, eighteen, eighteen souls, plus me and you. Plus me and you.

His senses were on overdrive, listening for any sound, dropping his six four frame to slightly bent knees, balancing on the balls of his feet, the knife firm in his hand. He felt the prickle of awareness down his spine, heard a noise and spinning abruptly, pushing Jensen to one side.

“Padalecki”, it took a few seconds for his eyesight to focus on the grinning face of the chef, and for Jared to realise the other man’s arrogance in not calling their position through immediately to whoever he was with. 

He shot forward not hesitating, feeling the wind of the knife slashing above his head as he ducked and grabbed the com device, crushing it against a wall and spinning away from the knife, not quite in time as it slashed an open slice out of his left arm.

He hissed in pain, pushing Jensen back and out of the way facing Liviero.  They circled, gauging reaction, skill, need, desire to kill, and hatred.

Liviero moved first, Jared backing away arching his stomach back, his own knife sweeping down to catch his opponent in the arm and then grabbing the other’s arm that wielded the knife, each struggling for dominance whilst Jared pushed his knife up trying for purchase in the other man’s body, his hand slick with his own blood, causing the knife to slip momentarily. 

Liviero pushed him back and Jared stumbled over his own long legs, his hand clutching at boxes as Liviero advanced, Jared feigned a slump, lowering his eyes aware of every movement his opponent made, every breath he was taking.

Liviero raised his arm the knife swinging down on Jared’s unprotected chest, even as Jared pushed up into Livieros’ side, the knife puncturing his heart, the breath and the life leaving him in one loud grunt.  Jared slumped back where he was, the heavy body holding him down, until Jensen, pulled him off

“Fuck Jared” was all he could say, dropping to his knees next to his bleeding lover, ripping off the ruined jacket and seeing the sliced skin beneath, blood spilling onto his hands.  He shrugged out of his own jacket and his shirt, ripping the shirt and tying it around the gaping wound, it left him in a T-shirt, a T-shirt now stained with Jared’s blood.

Jensen was in shock; the fight had been brutal and so silent, no shouting, no noise, just the violence and horror of absolute death.  Jared picked up on Jensen’s white face, pushed through the pain and stood up, wavering slightly

“You need to sit”

”I need to move”, he reached over, checking the chef’s pockets for anything useful.  Nothing, just the deadly knife, held limp in his hand.  Jared took it, matter of factly wiping the blood off on the chef’s whites

”Jared” Jensen watched, it was like a car crash, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the dead chef, or the blood, or the image of his lover wiping blood off on the pristine chef’s whites.

“No, let’s go” Jared insisted, he started to move off, aware that Jensen wasn’t following.  “Count for me Jensen, count for me”

Two agents, four cockpit, six passengers, three admin, two medics, seventeen souls, plus me and you.

   
Chapter 4

“Where is Liviero?”

“He hasn’t checked in for ten minutes”

“Jesus, what is wrong with him”.

”Shall we go and find - ”

“No, for god’s sake no, bring me one of the Admin staff, I don’t care which one”

“Not the family?”

”Not yet”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jensen heard it first, the crackle in his earpiece, the softly spoken words, he stopped, Jared stopped, tapping at his ear, his earpiece clearly not working as well. They weren’t two-way radios, just receivers, they couldn’t say anything, couldn’t be heard.

“Padalecki, Ackles, you have ten minutes to turn yourselves over, to climb out of whatever pit you’re in and get yourselves up here now” Jared mouthed one word Cory, Jensen nodded in agreement.

“And hey Ackles, I have someone here, she’s gone if you don’t hand yourselves over, Mackenzie, wanna hear prissy Mackenzie Ackles scream?”

Jensen opened his mouth to shout, the urge to scream no at the base of his throat, but Jared reacted faster closing his hand over Jensen’s mouth, shaking his head no, anyone could be close by to hear it.

“Ten minutes guys” and then the distinctive sound of the transmission ending.

Jensen reached a shaking hand, to Jared’s on his mouth, pulling it down, horror in his eyes.

“Jared… not Mack”

“They won’t kill Mackenzie, I promise you Jensen”

”Cory said - ”

“Cory wouldn’t waste such a valuable asset at first go”. Jensen visibly flinched at hearing his beautiful younger sister being called an asset.

“So what?  They kill someone else, we have to go up there Jared, we have to, we cant carry on running around the fucking plane playing soldiers”

”I can assure you Jensen I am not playing and If we do that, if we go upstairs, then we may as well shoot ourselves in the head.  They’ll not let us go, that’ll be it, whatever bargaining chips we have… gone.  We need to keep moving Jen, keep moving, OK?  We need to see just what the fuck is going on and how we are gonna stop it”

“OK, OK, but ten minutes Jared, ten”.

“Move faster Jensen”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

9:23

9:30

The sobbing man in front of him begging not to be killed, not to die.

But still no Ackles or Padalecki.

Cory felt irritation rise in him, he was on a schedule and they were fucking it up.

9:45

“Padalecki, Ackles, 15 seconds, you’d better be running”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jensen stopped, the words in his ear deathly serious.  He motioned for Jared to listen, but it seemed the last transmission had really been the final one for Jared’s small earpiece.

“Hey guys, any second through that door?”

Jared’s eyes bright, burning into Jensen’s, the face carved in stone, knowing what Jensen could hear, wanting to take that away from him

“No?” Cory’s voice, tinged with boredom. Boredom?

A man’s sobbing, pleading, Jensen’s eyes shut tight, pulling away from Jared.

Dad?

“Hmmm, 3 … 2 … 1 … bye bye”

The single shot echoed in the earpiece, driving Jensen to the floor, tears choking him, Jared holding him, the physical pressure of his hold the only thing from stopping Jensen screaming.

“Hmmm guys, ten minutes, next time, could be Mackenzie” Cory’s voice this time so disappointed, almost sad.

Static.

Silence.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

”Oh my God, what did we do?”

“Nothing, we didn’t do anything Jensen”

”We did, we chose to let that man die”

“It was a man, not Mackenzie?”

”He says…” Jensen couldn’t speak, couldn’t push the words out “…next time Jared, next time”

“How long”

”Ten minutes”

“We need to move, get up to the flight deck, the main area”

“How the fuck are we gonna do that?” There was a faint note of hysteria in Jensen’s voice.

“Keep going this way, focus for me Jensen, which way, to get to the main office area, Jensen count out for me and for fucks sake think”

Two agents, four cockpit, six passengers, three admin, two medics, seventeen souls, plus me and you. Who died? Who did we lose? A passenger? And agent? Staff? One of the cockpit crew?  Who do I take off? Shit. Damn it. Shit.

Two agents, four cockpit, six passengers, two admin, two medics, sixteen souls, plus me and you

He couldn’t bring himself to believe it was his dad

He just couldn’t.

“This way, there’s a serving…

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cory requested one of the agents to come out to him; it didn’t need both of them to guard that sorry excuse for a bunch of tie wearing idiots, including his father, who blustered and postured but never actually got anything done. 

Cory’s way. 

Now that would get things done, get things sorted, and finally the name of Gordon would actually mean something.

“Find them, kill Padalecki, bring the son to me”


	3. Chapter 3

They emerged from the serving system, six four of Padalecki unfolding and stretching, grimacing at the searing pain in his arm, but trying not to show Jensen.

To his reckoning they were very close to the front of the plane now, and he hoped to hell he would find answers up here.

He motioned Jensen to stop, his head to one side, and the knife gripped tightly, hearing movement, placing a single finger on his lips and nodding to Jensen.  He pushed himself back against the wall, then moved suddenly to catch the person rounding the corner, the knife instantly at the mans throat, his hand over the man’s mouth.

He didn’t remove either, looked over to Jensen; slowly he let go of the man, watching Jensen’s eyes.

“What the fuck Jensen, what is going on”, this from the agent he knew as Matthews, a man who stood, with his hands raised in the air, a gesture of innocence.  Jensen saw the gun in the holster, but something wasn’t right, saw the man’s hand move to his ear, only subtly, then faster as Jensen’s eyes widened seeing what he was doing, moving to communicate to Jared.  Jared though saw Jensen’s eyes and the agent was dead before he hit the ground

One agent, four cockpit, six passengers, two admin, two medics, fifteen souls, plus me and you

“Jared”, Jensen breathed deeply, the metallic smell of blood in the air, his head spinning.

Jared dragged the body back into the nearest room, a trail of dark blood from his body across the floor.

“Jared”, Jensen offered more firmly, “this is getting out of hand, what the fuck is happening here?”

”We find Cory, we find your family, and we stop this”

“OK”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cory’s temper was really on a knife-edge, another man down, another man not answering the comm… fucking Ackles.

“We have company”, the voice sounded tinny in Cory’s head

“How many?”

”Four and an insistent air traffic controller demanding a response”

“Repeat our demands, tell them to back the hell off”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jared counted one man standing, nine sitting, one, a blonde, lying, dead by all accounts.

He shuffled back to Jensen, pulling him close and whispering the numbers.  Jensen blanched but Jared smiled briefly, Jensen’s family were still alive.  He gestured for Jensen to stay where he was, indicating he was going to move around the back, and he tapped at Jensen’s ear, keep listening, he mouthed.  Jensen nodded.

He watched Jared leave.  He held tight to the knife, knowing he probably couldn’t bring himself to use it as lethally as Jared, but reassured by its heaviness.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

No one to get them, it was Cory who went in and singled out Mackenzie, aware of the gasps, the exchanged looks between the President and his dad, the questions, he ignored them all.

She preceded him out of the door, casting quick looks back at her parents, her face carefully blank, meeting her mom’s eyes, her dad’s, a soft smile before a gun at her back forced her forward.

“Why are you doing this Cory?” she asked as he closed the door behind her, “what can you hope to gain?”

“Just shut the fuck up” he pushed her again, this time harder, and she stumbled to her knees

He connected the comm, familiar static in his ear.

“Ackles, Padalecki, time to show yourselves, I know you’re here, this time I have Mackenzie and I am giving you one minute, starting now”

Jensen sat, leaned back against the wall, where was Jared?  Jared needed to stop this, to get to Mack, Jared.

“20 seconds Ackles and I shoot your pretty sister between the eyes”

Jensen gripped the knife, tucked it into the back of his jeans

“10”

He had no choice, Jared wasn’t here and Mackenzie was not dying because of him.  Breathing deeply he stood, moving to the room and standing in front of Cory, looking down into Mackenzie’s eyes.

Cory pulled the gun up away from Mackenzie’s head, a small smile of satisfaction.

“Padalecki?”

“Dead”

“Never mind, it’s not him I want, its you Jensen Ross Ackles”.

Jensen frowned, “Well, just let my sister go, then you have me”.

“When we’ve finished”

“Finished what?” Jensen asked but Cory ignored him, indicating Mackenzie should stand; Jensen helped her to her feet and pushed her behind him, edging away from the madness in Cory’s eyes.

“We need to move” Cory insisted, waving the gun in the direction of where Jensen just came in, “the media room”.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jared hesitated outside the room, only one man, no gun, but a diversion right about now would be good. Blinking at the dots in front of his eyes from the blood loss and feeling light headed at each painful movement. He couldn’t get a good angle on the angle to take him out from here; he needed to be in the room.

There was nothing for it, failing a full on diversion he would have to do.  Breathing deeply, he tucked the knife into the back of his shirt and linking his arms behind his head, he took a step into the room, straight into the view of the agent.

There was a moments hesitation in the agents face, his gun wavering, Padalecki, unarmed, it was enough for Jared, in a smooth movement the knife was thrown, the gun fired, Jared anticipated the movement, moved as he threw, it happened so fast, the agent dead, the knife through his left eye, Jared shot, the bullet high in the same arm as the knife wound, falling to the floor in a heap of blood and pain.

He felt people trying to get him to stand, and he fought them off as much as he could, he needed to get back to Jensen, needed to save Mackenzie.

Not looking, not talking, he just ran, the pain in his arm intense, the blood flowing freely, back to Jensen, seeing Cory, watching the media room door slam shut in his face, kicking at it, no energy reserves left.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As much as he could Jensen held Mackenzie away from Cory, enough so that he could press his arm firmly against her, trying to reassure her.  She looked at her brother; tears in her eyes and her shoulders slumped.

“I didn’t know” she murmured, Jensen squeezed her arm, its OK Mac, I know you didn’t…

They reached the media room all too soon, stumbling as Cory pushed them, a loud crashing behind them, a shouted Jensen, and then the media door was shut, locked, Jared, Jared banging on the outside.

“Jensen” Jared kicked at the door, and Cory paled.

“Tell the dead man to leave us alone Ackles”, he said pointing the gun at Mackenzie’s head. 

Jensen didn’t hesitate, moving to the door, his hand flat against it.  ”Jared, its fine, leave us”

“Jensen” Jared’s voice was dripping with adrenalin and fight, Jensen looked back at his sister and the madman’s gun at her temple. Stop Jared, stop.

“Stop Jared, stop”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jared leaned back on the wall opposite the door just as the President caught up with him, the agent’s gun in his hand, his face cold.

“Where are my children?”

Jared indicated the room, stopping the President with a hand as the older man aimed the gun at the lock.

“Jensen said stop, Cory has Mackenzie… Jensen said… stop”, something in Jared’s voice must have had an effect, the Presidents hand wavering and then dropping.

There was no external way of unlocking the door, it was an internal lock only used during transmissions. 

Shit. 

Jensen.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Inside the room Cory came to life, impassioned, the gun moving to sit at Mackenzie’s throat.

”We are the son’s you see, the next generation, we wont let them ruin America, take it to war, and then not take it far enough, so we need to talk” 

“I’m not talking to you until you let Mackenzie go”. Jensen said firmly, catching the denial in Mac’s eyes, the madness in Cory’s.

“No, we talk, then we all go, all of us, in a blaze of glory, in a way they’ll all remember”

“What you mean, they’ll remember”

”What could be better?  The very man here on this plane?  The one who says he won’t tolerate terrorists yet has his hands tied by a bunch of idiots like my father.  Idiots who won’t push through the use of the ultimate deterrent on these countries that dare to defy us” Cory indicated the transmission equipment “It’s all set up Ackles, press the switch and read from the cards, as easy as that”

“And if I don’t?”

“Well Mackenzie dies in front of you, simple as that” 

Jensen heard Mackenzie’s quick intake of breath “Don’t Jensen I’ll - ”

“Don’t Jensen don’t Jensen, don’t do what he says Jensen, I don’t mind dying” Cory said sneering in a sing song voice, a layer of insanity in his voice, then he smiled, his hand twisting cruelly into Mackenzie’s hair pulling her head back, whimpering softly. “Press the button. Read the words”

“Jesus”, Jensen picked up the card, stood in front of the camera, trying to focus on the typing, the content, what Cory wanted him to say, reading the first few words, realisation sinking in.  He pushed the button and started to read.

“My name is Jensen Ackles and my father, John Ackles is President of the United States, we are aboard Air Force 1 and terrorists have taken over the plane.  Their demands are simple; they want you to see how vulnerable we are as a country.  They want you to see that if our own President can be blown from the sky with all the anti terrorist counter measures in place around one man then just how vulnerable is the person on the street.  Make no mistake Air Force 1 is coming down. Learn.”

Jensen lifted stricken eyes to Cory; he couldn’t believe what he had read, why? Cory leaned over and pressed the button, relaxing his grip on Mac and on the gun; she pulled away from him moving towards Jensen.

Cory just nodded, his face intense, running his tongue over his lower lip, an excitement in him that repulsed Jensen.  “It’s the only way Jensen, you know that, we need to show just how vulnerable we are as a country, and if martyring ourselves is how we need to do it…”

A kind of joy appeared in Cory’s eyes as he moved the gun to his own temple and pulled the trigger. 

Blood everywhere, Mackenzie screaming, the door smashing open, Jared there, a gun, Jensen didn’t move, he needed to tell them what the words were.

Air Force 1 is coming down.

Air Force 1 is coming down.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“We need to get into the cockpit” Jared bit out, wincing as the doctor wrapped his arm.

Jensen counted in his head four cockpit, five passengers, two admin, two medics, thirteen souls, plus me and you over and over again.

“Jensen, I need to get to the cockpit, are you with me here?”

”Yes, no, I am, cockpit…”

“He said the plane is coming down, I’m thinking another explosive device, I need to be in the cockpit if that happens”

Jensen tried to pull himself together, trying to get his thoughts in order, ”we need to get through to the pilot, someone” he offered desperately

“Jensen we tried, there is no answer, and we can’t get through the security door”

“You can…” Jensen paused, “…you can, from the server room”

“I’ll go” Mackenzie moved next to Jensen, “talk me through it, I know my way round down there”

“Mac” I’ll go, don’t go down there, what if the explosive is…

”No Jen, tell me, you stay here with Jared, he needs the help here” and then she ran, just left them.

“Why is no one answering?”

”I have to assume one of them up there is part of this, but no one is responding, which kinda makes me think they’re incapacitated, dead”

“Then who the fuck is flying the damn plane”

“Auto pilot, pre programmed”

”Pre programmed to crash?” This from the President who stood, his arms around his wife, standing tall and straight.

“Shit Jared”, Jensen finally found his voice, “so if we get in there, and what… they are all dead…  we need to… can you… can you fly this plane on your own”

”Yes I can, physically though I will need help”

They stood by the door, waiting for the door to release, waiting for Mack to do her thing, Jared with the gun, Jensen with a knife, his grip tight.

The door slid open on a sigh, the smell hitting the two men immediately, blood.  Jared moved in quickly, trying not to look into Anna’s lifeless eyes, her body back in the seat, still belted in.

The flight deck was silent, all four dead, Jared swallowed.

“We need to move them” he said tonelessly, and let the others pull the bodies out, trying to concentrate on the laptops, the screens, pulling together information.  The brain of a 747 was immense, and autopilot on this beast wasn’t as simple as flying in a straight line.  Every second it would make alterations in path and trajectory, counteracting the loss of engine four, all programmed and detailed.

Jared knew he had no option; there were two scenarios, another explosion or autopilot on path to destruction.  He needed to get into the computer brain and see what had been programmed. 

“Mackenzie, I need your help” she stood forward, her hands twisting in front of her. “Computer science major yes?”

“Er yes?”

“I need to find out the programmed flight plan, I know it’s on the navcom, I need you to pull out the info”

She sat at the seat, mindless to the blood that caused her to slip sideways, concentration on her face as fingers flew over the keyboard.

Jared moved to the pilot’s seat, strapping himself in, and desperately hoping that cockpit communication was still up.  He couldn’t see the guardian jets, assumed they were holding back on Cory’s demand, but knew they were there.

It was ultimately their job to take the plane down if necessary, Jared knew that, he had been in their position, he knew where to aim, how to kill, if US soil was compromised, if… if… any number of scenarios could play out that would mean AF1 could be shot from the sky, not least of which was the plane becoming a flying bomb aimed at a city on US soil.

”Washington” Mackenzie’s voice was soft, horrified, broken, “the plane is heading for Washington”

More intel, Mack where?

“Where Mackenzie?  Are we talking Pentagon, The Whitehouse?”

“The Whitehouse”

OK, less casualties, more of a statement “Shit, we need to get comms back and let them know we are coming in hot”

“What…” Jensen’s voice tailed off as the situation hit him, “… we won’t reach Washington will we?  They’ll shoot us out of the sky before that, over the ocean”

“Is that true Jared?”  Mackenzie’s voice faltered

“There isn’t a bomb on board to take us out.  We are the bomb, a guided missile, heading for the most perfect political statement in history.  We won’t reach Washington, they won’t let us”.

“Jesus” Jensen climbed into the co-pilots seat, “tell us what we need to do”

Jared sat for a good ten seconds, the conviction in Jensen’s voice that Jared would know what to do overwhelming.

“We… Mackenzie, I need you to… on my count… release the plane from autopilot.  Jensen, I need you to follow my lead, do as I say, we need to get this plane back under our control.  Everyone needs to strap in” this to the President who hovered, watching.

”I can’t fly - ” Jensen started to say but Jared cut him off.

“You can and you will, I just need your strength, let me do the flying.  Are you both with me?”

They both nodded, Mackenzie turning back to the screen, desperately looking for the information she needed, her fast analytical brain scanning menus and options.

“Mack, how long?”  Outside was endless ocean; he needed to know how long till landfall.

“Shit Jared, I’m not … ten, ten minutes to land, erm shit, ten does that sound - ” She heard tears of frustration in her own voice, she needed to focus, typing in commands, not really knowing what the hell she was doing, “and like 20 to DC, something, I don’t…”

Jared cut her short, it was enough to know that if he could get control of the plane it needed to be now, before the jet fighter guard shot them out of the sky.  “On three Mack, I need you to take us off program, ready Jensen, just hang on to the controls? One… Two… Three”

The plane shuddered, metal tearing as the stresses of the dead engine took their toll.  Jensen was pulled forward as the controls in his hand leapt in defence at the tilting plane.  He heard Jared shout something, just held tighter, pulled harder when Jared said.

Jared felt muscles burning and straining as he took control back, the injured beast in his hands bucking to the left, dropping, losing altitude, the instruments in front of him dialling down faster than he had ever seen. The nose dipped and the whole body of the plane shuddered as it started to tip and Jared used every ounce of his energy to pull back, trying to compensate. 

The engines screamed, taking the slack for the missing engine, and the superstructure twisted under Jared’s hands.  He visualised the twisting plane, picturing the yaw, the pitch, the equations in his head, he shouted commands to Jensen over the roar of the engines, the pain in his arm excruciating as gravity fought for control over the falling plane.

He zoned out completely, his hands on the controls, his eyes on the dials, his thoughts as much a part of the plane as the superstructure itself.  He could see the bucking, see the horizon, see the twist that the plane was in and with deft movements, each involving sweating grasping muscles pulling at the controls he was finally equalising the pitching, finally balancing the movements.

Sweat collected under his hair, his arms trembling with exertion, as he held her steady.

“Jared that was… you are fucking awesome dude”

“We’re only half way there”

“What next?”

“We land this bird”.

“OK, where?”

“Nearest runway to DC“.

“Dulles International, how will they know we have it under control”.

“Get comms back, Mack, any luck?”

”They’ve closed us out, I’m not sure I can get any further”

“Keep trying Mack”

“Jared what are we gonna do here?”

“We’re gonna have to try the old fashioned way, I need you to follow my lead here, we need to waggle the wings”

“What the fuck”

“It’s a old trick, it shows the plane is OK and the pilot is OK, moving the plane on it’s nose-tail axis, the ailerons … basically you apply left stick, the left aileron raises and the right one drops, and the aircraft rolls to the left. The opposite… if you push the stick in the opposite direction” Jensen looked a bit blank, even though he was really trying to understand, “…just follow my lead yeah?”

“Yeah”

Jared braced himself for the manoeuvre, knowing the movement on the structure normally took two and Jensen wasn’t exactly experienced.  Added to that his arm had gone numb and his eyes were blurring in pain.

“To the left Jen, gently, it’s not gonna happen immediately, slow increments OK?

“Jesus Jared” Jensen could feel himself sweating, focusing on his breathing, listening to Jared’s voice “If we get out of this alive I swear I am getting flying lessons”

“If we get out of here alive I swear I’ll be the one giving you flying lessons… OK, now gently back, tiny movements”

“But I didn’t feel the plane move”

“It’s like a pendulum. We need to work up to it”

“Fuck Jay, outside” Jared looked out of the window, the guard was moving closer, moving into combat position.

“How could they know the plane still isn’t compromised?  How would they even believe this whole wing moving business?”

“It’s enough to put reasonable doubt, maybe give us some extra time”

”Should we get dad up here?  Maybe if they saw”

”It proves nothing about us not being compromise Jensen, I’m telling you we are treading a fine line here between being shot down in flames or me crashing this bird into the sea to avoid being shot down”

Jensen felt the motion of the plane moving side to side, and then sensed the jet fighters moving away, “Jared they’ve moved off, it worked”.

“Jensen, they haven’t moved off, it’s standard procedure, they are circling back… Mack have we got any comms

“Nothing, I can’t get anything”

“Then we have no choice”

“What, you can’t mean what you said”

“Jensen, I know the position, they are moving back, circling, moving into attack position, we have been deemed a threat, they are taking us down”

“So we turn back, back out towards sea, they’ll see we can’t

“We don’t have the fuel Jensen, this is a one shot thing, and I have to take the plane down.  Mack get in the back, prepare everyone for a sea bound landing”

“A crash, fuck Jared you’re going to crash the fucking plane”

“Mack, go, do as I say, life jackets, remember the emergency procedures, go, I’m starting this thing now”

She ran, Jensen wanted to shout out to her, wanted to be the big brother, but he took one look at Jared’s face, set in stone, this was happening and Jensen would not be the one to let everyone down. He watched his sister leave, he sent a prayer with her, and then he turned back, the grip on the controls tight.

“So what now”

Jared turned his head briefly to look at Jensen, one last look.  He knew the statistics, knew how unlikely it was that any of them were going to get out of this alive, but what did he say? What could he say that would explain how he was feeling at this moment?  What could he say that didn’t seem as if it was in the heat of the moment.  Nothing.

“I’m turning her back out to sea away from mainland, then I’m taking her down in a controlled landing”

“Controlled landing” Jensen repeated doubtfully. Wasn’t that a euphemism for crash?

“Controlled landing…” Jared insisted, “OK, let’s turn this baby and hope she doesn’t let me down”

The plane hitched and bucked as Jared fought to move her round, face her back the way they had come, he knew what was going through the guard’s head’s, something along the lines of what the fuck watching as the plane they were gonna shoot from the sky was actually doing a kamikaze into the ocean beneath them.

He dipped her gently, the altimeter counting down to the fake horizon that was the roiling sea, his heart pounding and his stomach knotted. Ten… Nine… Eight… the shadow of this beautiful plane skimmed the white tipped waves… Five… Four … he relaxed into the controls, every nerve ending on fire, every thought, every focus on the falling plane and its trajectory.  Too steep and they nose dive into the sea, game over.  Too shallow and they skip the water and start to flip.

“Brace” he called out sharply as the clearest vision in the world for a pilot smacked him between the eyes, the plane touching the water, silent for a moment and then chaos that had been spat from his worst nightmares.

The plane bucked and tipped, but miraculously stayed upright, skimming and settling, listing to one side, travelling some distance like a roller coaster ride, the water climbing the sides, the cockpit took the brunt, windows smashing in, debris flying about Jared’s head, hearing a scream and realising it was him as he was thrown forward, impaled on loose metal, losing consciousness immediately.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jensen was caught up in the maelstrom; his hands about his head, his body tossed like a rag doll, seeing the windows implode, hearing Jared’s scream, trying to focus, the plane finally stopping, rocking manically in the moving sea.  He pulled at his belt, desperation to get out making him fumble; he could see Jared still in his seat, upright and unconscious and he felt brief relief, until he saw the debris through his side and the blood.

Finally he managed to undo the belt, moving to Jared, the cold of the sea breeze on his shocked body.

“Son, we need to get off this plane”, his fathers voice.

Jensen looked up, “dad, you’re OK?  Mom, Mack?”

“Mostly OK, but we need to get off”

“Jared, he… he’s… we cant move him” his dad moved to check on Jared, taking in the slowly flickering pulse, the blood, the metal sheaf sticking into his side, he wouldn’t be alive for very much longer, surely Jensen could see that?

“We are taking on water son, we need to move”

”Jared”

“Jared is as good as dead son, he’s not gonna survive this”

“Dad, he just saved all of our lives, I’m not leaving him” Jensen curled protectively around his unconscious lover, hands not knowing where to hold first.

“Your mom, your sister”

“Get them off dad, get them away, I’m staying with Jared”

”Jensen, I order you to - ”

“No dad, go, I’m staying”

His dad wanted to try one last thing “what you’re feeling son, this isn’t right, he wouldn’t want you dying for him now, not after everything he has done… please”

“He wouldn’t leave me, I’m not leaving him”

“Jesus, I have a responsibility to these - ”

“Go dad, I’ll see you on the flip side”

“Jensen”

“Go”

They didn’t exchange anything else… no words were needed as his dad left; they knew how they felt… that was never in doubt.

Jensen pushed hard against where the blood was coming from first.  It had slowed and Jensen knew from his limited medical training that Jared’s body had gone into shock, so white and still.

He wanted to scream and rail at the world, he wanted to breathe life into his lover, he wanted more time with him, and he wanted to know this man.

He pulled him closer, blood on his hands, Jared’s blood, and he pushed harder against the wound, trying not to move the metal.

“Jared, please… come on man, for me”

He knew his family were safe and a curious sense of peace filled him.  He was cold, sore, tired and a little scared, but he talked to Jared, as the water reached the chair.  The water levels were rising, he thought maybe this was a good thing, salt water, wound, but he wasn’t really convinced.

He had removed the straps from Jared as carefully as he could; if help got here he didn’t want them having to struggle under the rising water to release straps, and that was the other thing worrying him, the water.  The plane was sinking, inch by inch it was taking on water through open doors and shattered parts of the hull, it was up to his thighs, cold and insidious lowering his own body temperature.

He wasn’t aware of time, Jared slipping further and further away from him, the water higher and higher.  So much he needed to tell him.  Thank you… for their one night, for saving his family, for sacrificing his life.

…sir, you need to move…

…Mr Ackles sir, can you move

 …Medic we need some help in here

…85… 10mill… we have a pulse… hypothermic… shock

…just need to move him … on my count remove the …

… it’s free, get that side, sir you need to move sir, let us do our job

“Son, you need to let him go”, his dad’s voice, “let him go Jensen”

“Dad”

“Just let him go, it will be fine, we’ll get him to hospital, ten minutes tops,

He felt his dad’s arms around him, watching as the medics fought against nature and time to get Jared on the airlift and pull him away in a rain of seawater.  It was surreal; it was like a movie, this couldn’t be happening.

The helicopter stuttered and wheeled away, Jared inside, an emergency run, the copter low against the waves and Jensen watched from the door until it became no more than a speck in the sky.

They helped him onto the life raft, medics touching him, pulling him, guiding him away from the plane, as the sea swallowed Air Force 1, her graceful carriage sinking beneath unforgiving waves.

He felt a scratch on his arm, heard his mom’s voice, felt her tears on his face, and gave in to the darkness, knowing they were at last safe.

When Jensen came too the first time it was to chaos and light and he shut his eyes, his only thoughts… where is Jared and is he OK?  Is he alive?

The second time he pushed out of the darkness it was to his mom’s tired and drawn face gazing down at him.

“Jensen” she whispered, “Mack call a doctor… he’s coming round”

He tried to say, no, no doctors, is Jared OK? But what came out was a single word

“Jared”.

“He’s in intensive care sweetheart, they had to operate to move the metal, had to remove his spleen, he’s still unconscious”

The doctor chose that moment to arrive, fussing and prodding and asking stupid questions about the date and the current President, smiling gently when Jensen replied dad.  
   
He struggled to move, but IV’s were pinning him down, he wanted to see Jared, I need to see Jared.

“He’s still unconscious sir.  Sleep and when you wake up he’ll be awake too”. 

A familiar scratch, then he had no choice but to sleep.

Jared’s return to consciousness was a lot more painful and was monitored by a bank of specialists, there by order of the President himself.  They discussed and strategised, medicated and stitched and three days later, almost to the hour when Air Force 1 went down, Jared woke up.

He woke up to pain and his own tears and to a hand holding his as tight as dared.

“Jared,” a voice broke through his initial confusion I’m alive? “Hey”

“I’m alive” was that out loud?

“Uh huh, by the skin of your teeth Padalecki”

“Tell me” how bad am I hurt, I can’t feel anything except pain?

“No spleen, broken arm, three broken ribs, coupla knife scars”

“OK” OK, nothing life threatening, people live without spleens don’t they?

“The plane”

“Gone, they’re salvaging it in a few weeks when the tides turn,

“The rest?”

“Everyone left made it out alive”

“Count for me Jensen…”

Jensen leant over, dropping a small kiss on his forehead, “two medics, two admin, five passengers, nine souls, and me and you”.  Eleven.

“Thas’good” Jared’s words started to slur as the next kick of morphine started its magic.

“I’m kinda thinking we could be good together you know” Jensen offered quietly.

“Yeah”.  God yeah, definitely, yes.

“And Jared, I’ve had this other thought”

“Guh”. Jared was on the edge of unconsciousness again, the morphine relaxing him muscle by muscle.

“Instead of flying lessons, could we just go bowling instead?”  



End file.
